Hit weight loss plateau, running out of steam

mrfrost05 · February 2018

Hey everyone. Been logging in for a while now, just decided to post something for the first time.

I've been loosing weight since Jun of 2017 and am down 70 lbs so far. Its been fun & tough at the same time.... I've got another 30 Lbs to go and they are proving to be very difficult to say the least.

Current diet is CICO mixed with some IF.

First food is 9 am, last food is 6 pm. All healthy proteins with low carbs. Tuna fish, chicken, almonds, egg whits, veggies etc.... I try to stay within 1200-1500 calories a day.

I go to boot-camp for 30 min a day, 4-6 times a week.

I know that some of my problem is alcohol, I have a couple drinks a few nights a week. That one is proving to be very difficult for me to cut out.....

I also have a Pizza cheat day on Sunday that I am going to attempt to cut out this week. Last Sunday, it gave me a pretty upset stomach (i'm sure its the carbs, gluten...)

I am tempted to start running on the treadmill before work for 30 min, 3-4 days a week on top of my normal boot camp training, i just cant make myself commit to it!!

Long story short, I know I need to cut out the drinking for a while, quit the cheat day and hit the gym a little harder, I'm just getting burned out.....

pinuplove · February 2018

Congrats on 70 pounds lost, that's fantastic! You might want to check out the refeeds and diet breaks thread

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

DevilsFan1 · February 2018

Do you weigh your food? Are you sure you're staying within 1200-1500 calories per day? I assume you're male from your user name. I find it had to believe you aren't losing weight at that kind of deficit. I'm 5'10, 178 and I'm losing over one pound per week on a 2000 calorie per day diet.

Meelisv · February 2018

Great first post!

1200-1500 calories is way too little for a man (assumed that for your username), especially if you also do some sort of workout. I assume that it probably doesn't include calories from alcohol. Pizza cheat days can also mean that you consume more calories than you think. Doing more exercise is good, but you really don't need to do that much cardio (unless you really like it).
I would still try to limit that alcohol consumption and drop those pizza cheat days. Instead, eat bigger regular meals with enough protein and fat. And most importantly - make sure you use a food scale and weigh EVERYTHING. It might be surprising how that what you think is 1500 calories is actually 2500 instead...

cheryldumais · February 2018

I went through exactly the same thing. My first year I lost about 70 pounds at an average of around 1.4 pounds a week. Then my loss ground to a halt. I was stuck for a couple of months and was so frustrated. Some folks on here told me I needed a diet break. That made absolutely no sense to me but I was desperate so I ate at maintenance for a week (should have done 2) and hallelujah it worked! I have no idea why. Scientifically it doesn't line up but I suspect I was overeating because of a taste here and there, I don't know. I didn't think I was but try a diet break. The next 18 pounds took me almost a year though just so you know but I did manage to lose more. When I went off the maintenance calories I lowered my goal to 1 pound a week and raised my daily calories a little bit. I am maintaining now even though I would like to lose another 10 but so far, so good.

batorkin · February 2018

I know that some of my problem is alcohol, I have a couple drinks a few nights a week. That one is proving to be very difficult for me to cut out.....

I doubt you will ever see your goal unless you stop drinking regularly. Stop keeping beer in the house if you can't control yourself around it.

It's impossible for a male to not lose weight on 1200-1500 calories, even if they laid in a bed 24/7. There's no way you are consuming that little when you drink so much beer and have a cheat day.

It seems you want answers you already know. Stop drinking and get rid of the cheat day. Nothing in life worth having comes easy, there's no easy path here just suck it up and keep at it.

rockymir · February 2018

I think the problem here is now how you manage your diet, etc...but how bad you want results.
This is what I mean:

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I've got another 30 Lbs to go and they are proving to be very difficult to say the least.

To be honest nobody ever said it was going to be easy. After all, if it was easy everyone would do it and how many people do you know who lost 100 lbs total? Not so many I bet.
This is what makes the difference between those with a fighting attitude, who work for what they want and achieve it and...well...those who don't.

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I know that some of my problem is alcohol, I have a couple drinks a few nights a week. That one is proving to be very difficult for me to cut out.....

I'm going to restart the same jazz. How many people do you know who are losing 100 lbs total and also cutting out alcohol? Even less. So what, do you want to be able one day to say boy, it's been hard but I made it. Or you want to sit on your behind and admit failure? Consider also that admitting failure now means you basically wasted your time/money/energy losing those 70 lbs because you'll regain them.

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I also have a Pizza cheat day on Sunday that I am going to attempt to cut out this week. Last Sunday, it gave me a pretty upset stomach (i'm sure its the carbs, gluten...)

Work out what it is exactly. Cheats aren't bad, look up how leptin works. But I can surely say that cheating can get into something massive and unhealthy so check out how you do it.

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I am tempted to start running on the treadmill before work for 30 min, 3-4 days a week on top of my normal boot camp training,

Why not? Just don't get injured, ok? Consider something else too, not necessarily running. I know many people who think running is the only option to lose weight but it's not. So do it safely.

nickmartin250 wrote: »

i just cant make myself commit to it!!

This means more than it looks like, it's not a lack of committment but do you like running? Or if you have never run, would you like to? Because I'll be bluntly honest you'll hardly stick to doing something you hate unless you have to. Like you could hate your job and still do it because you need the money but you'll likely not stick to running if you don't like it.
Find something you like. Seriously, if you want to add some more sport it's ok but find something that you like. Walk, swim, jump, play soccer with friends, play something, whatever...but don't do something you don't like.

mrfrost05 · February 2018

I agree that nothing in life worth having comes easy. I'm still loosing a little every week, but its getting down to 1lb or so. Maybe my weekly goals are unrealistic.

I typically meal prep with a scale, however we are renovating our kitchen, so it has proven to be very difficult. No sink, no stove, no dishwasher.... The kitchen should be put back together in the next month, so i can get back to a full meal prep plan.

I'm pretty strict to the 12-1500 calories a day, weighed out and recorded. I guess i was just used to the big weekly losses when i was heavier...

I've always said that if i'm not loosing, i'm either eating too much or working out to little.

I think this is less of a plateau and more of a running out of steam... Its getting harder and harder to stick to the program...

cheryldumais · February 2018

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I agree that nothing in life worth having comes easy. I'm still loosing a little every week, but its getting down to 1lb or so. Maybe my weekly goals are unrealistic.

I'm pretty strict to the 12-1500 calories a day, weighed out and recorded. I guess i was just used to the big weekly losses when i was heavier...

I've always said that if i'm not loosing, i'm either eating too much or working out to little.

I think this is less of a plateau and more of a running out of steam... Its getting harder and harder to stick to the program...

Oh, I see what you are saying. As you lose your deficit shrinks and it takes longer to drop the pounds. If you are still losing take heart, it will come off eventually. The last 20 pounds or so are really tough to lose and the cheats can really be costly. Take your time and revel in the weight you have lost already my friend that is a huge accomplishment!

idabest777 · February 2018

If you're still losing 1lb/week then that's not a plateau. You're just losing at a healthy rate instead of what your unrealistic expectations are.

You should adjust your goals at this point to lose just 1lb/week and when you're 5-10lbs from your goal you should change it to 0.5lbs/week.

batorkin · February 2018

nickmartin250 wrote: »

I agree that nothing in life worth having comes easy. I'm still loosing a little every week, but its getting down to 1lb or so. Maybe my weekly goals are unrealistic.

I typically meal prep with a scale, however we are renovating our kitchen, so it has proven to be very difficult. No sink, no stove, no dishwasher.... The kitchen should be put back together in the next month, so i can get back to a full meal prep plan.

I'm pretty strict to the 12-1500 calories a day, weighed out and recorded. I guess i was just used to the big weekly losses when i was heavier...

I've always said that if i'm not loosing, i'm either eating too much or working out to little.

I think this is less of a plateau and more of a running out of steam... Its getting harder and harder to stick to the program...

Do you expect to lose more than 1 pound/week drinking beer multiple nights a week plus having a cheat day? The less weight you have to lose, the harder it gets. I would wager you will truly plateau and start losing nothing in the next 10-15 pounds if you do not change these bad habits.

Also, if you are truly eating 1200-1500 calories a day (and that INCLUDES the beer), then you are going to end up with some serious malnutrition. That'd mean you are getting almost half your calories from beer, which is empty calories.

aeloine · February 2018

quiksylver296 · February 2018

aeloine wrote: »

Dang it. Beat me to it.

BitofaState · February 2018

You know what you need to do, your problem is the why.

Does that beer and pizza taste better than watching those numbers fall feels? Does giving yourself a stomach ache feel better than the sense of accomplishment of a day at target with your workout done? When you're doing your boot camp sessions do you vision that beer & pizza and think "I'm sweating my *kitten* off here for those, what the **** am I doing?"

Sit down and figure out why you want to lose the last 30lbs. Be specific, what is it you want to be able to do? With who? When?

"getting healthy" is a great goal, but it doesn't really drive our inner motivation unless we can tie it to something tangible, something we can hear, feel, smell, touch and taste. By taking the time to see yourself in 30lbs time, in new clothes, doing something that's a struggle now you will find that inner push to get through this.

It might be an idea to take a pause, go on maintenance and get your head back in the game. We all get burnt out at times, and one day you will be at target and will have to learn to maintain in the same way that you have learnt to lose. But even if you go on maintenance, figure out how to drop the beer and pizza. In fact it might be easier to take that step whilst you are on maintenance than it is now when they are your "reward".

Who is it that you're hanging around with that means you have "a couple" a few nights of the week? Maybe time to say "guys I'm off the booze until the belly has gone". Can you make a healthy salad to munch whilst others are fattening up on pizza? You don't need to lose the social life, but you don't have to get in your own way either.

As you might guess I've had this same internal monologue. The same issues with it being difficult, with having to find ways of both sticking to goals and keep up a social life. At some point you have to choose, what is more important. After dropping boozing, I found I could hang out and have a good time without having to drink so much, so when I was back on maintenance, I started having a two beer limit and often would choose the no calorie option of hitting the water.

RoxieDawn · February 2018

If you have not taken a diet break along the way I think reviewing the link from the very first post will be beneficial, consider doing this for yourself both mentally and physically to lose the remaining amounts you have.

You will need to adjust your expectations, larger losses are not going to happen and the closer you get to goal you are going to want to slow it down anyways. Additional exercising is certainly fine and having fitness goals is great, use your exercise for health and fitness related goals, but keep your calorie intake so that its the proper amount to support your added exercise, eating less and exercising more is not better.

Preparing yourself for maintaining is something you want to start working when you reach the last 15-10 pounds. There is nothing wrong with adding in alcohol as long as your drinking habits are not deemed an unhealthy aspect to your health as in moderate amounts.

aeloine · February 2018

quiksylver296 wrote: »

aeloine wrote: »

Dang it. Beat me to it.

It's always a race to beat you

Hit weight loss plateau, running out of steam

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